Maintain 16 As Dropout Age

March 31, 2003

Clearly, it's desirable for most young people to stay in high school until they graduate. But merely warehousing kids who don't belong in school and are old enough to work serves neither their interests nor those of the state.

Therefore, a bill sponsored by state Rep. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, and a companion measure sponsored by state Sen. Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, are misguided. The bills would require students to remain in school until age 17.

Currently, students must attend until age 16, at which time they can drop out if their parents sign a document acknowledging that not finishing school is likely to harm their future.

Negron hopes the extra year would dissuade young people from dropping out at all, since at 17 they'd be a year closer to graduation. But the bill ignores several harsh realities.

First, there are some young people who by 16 have reached the limit of what school can offer them. They're bored and uninvolved, and often create behavioral problems that can be a distraction to teachers and other students. They may be better off pursuing another kind of career path. As a matter of fairness, the state should not force such kids to remain in school against their will and the will of their parents.

Second, the state, already facing huge budget shortfalls, can ill afford the estimated $32 million in additional ongoing costs, such as teacher salaries, on top of $145 million in school construction costs to accommodate students who now leave school at 16.

Third, the bills would exacerbate an already critical school crowding problem, particularly in Broward and Palm Beach counties. If the bill passes, it likely will add about 285 students to Broward schools and 275 to Palm Beach County schools.

If this legislation were directed at extending the education of students likely to benefit from it, the higher expense and increased crowding would be well worth it. But money spent on students who shouldn't be in school is money not spent on students who should be. Similarly, every uninterested student squeezed into already crowded schools creates an additional hardship for students who are truly engaged in the educational process.

To shell out millions of dollars to jam more students into the schools and pretend they belong there is foolish. Leave well enough alone. Defeat this misguided legislation.